Seattle Traffic?? and Sky City opening?

We are staying near the airport and plan to visit Boeing on Sunday, June 17. They seem to be very strict on arrival time so I want to make sure I allow plenty of travel time. I'm from ATL so I know traffic but not Seattle weekend traffic. LOL. If we leave around 9, will that be ok? We have to get our rental from the airport that morning too, so trying to make sure everything works.

Also, any news of when Sky City will open? I read somewhere April 8?

All my Alaska excursions are planned, so working on Seattle now.

Thanks in advance.:)

Google Maps and Waze will give you samples of travel times with a little sampling during the hours in question.

Yes, I did both earlier and looks like it’s about a 45 minute drive. However, due to the time difference I keep forgetting to check at the appropriate time. [emoji20]

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Yes, I did both earlier and looks like it’s about a 45 minute drive. However, due to the time difference I keep forgetting to check at the appropriate time. [emoji20]

Google Maps lets you manually choose the time and day of the week for sample traffic - this will also give you longer-term average traffic delays, rather than 'at the moment' which could be a good or bad day.

Didn’t know that I’ll do that now! Thx!

We are staying near the airport and plan to visit Boeing on Sunday, June 17. They seem to be very strict on arrival time so I want to make sure I allow plenty of travel time. I'm from ATL so I know traffic but not Seattle weekend traffic. LOL. If we leave around 9, will that be ok? We have to get our rental from the airport that morning too, so trying to make sure everything works.

 

Also, any news of when Sky City will open? I read somewhere April 8?

 

All my Alaska excursions are planned, so working on Seattle now.

 

Thanks in advance.:)

The Sky City restaurant is probably going to miss most if not all of the cruise season. Things are running behind on the renovation project. The viewing deck should be open, but remember there are other places with equal if not better views than those from the Space Needle, some of them free. http://www.kiro7.com/news/local/renovation-delays-at-space-needle-push-back-re-opening-of-restaurant/708147630

The problem with Sundays in the summer (ish) timeframe is that some weekends the freeways have reduced lanes to allow for construction and maintenance, so any time estimates you see from the likes of Google or Mapquest should be taken with a bit (or a shaker) of salt.

From the airport car rental center to the Future of Flight center for the Boeing tour, I'd budget at least an hour - 25 min. to downtown, then 35 min. to the FoF, and that's with nominal traffic conditions. If there's a construction problem it could take longer.

I-5 has carpool and HOV lanes, but through the downtown area of Seattle there are reversible "express lanes" that allow traffic to bypass most of the entrances and exits off the main line. Unfortunately, on weekend mornings these lanes accommodate southbound traffic through the city, while you'll be heading north. So again, there's a slight possibility that you could encounter delays, although I'm often on the freeway at that time on Sundays (weekly family breakfast outing) and I've seldom seen any congestion.

Here's a website you could consult when you're actually in the area - https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Construction/PugetSound/

Gardyloo thank u so much! I was hoping someone would share their local knowledge. I think I’m gonna choose a later time to b on the safe side. I’ll keep an eye on Sky City, I could bypass it but my daughter is the one that wants to go. I’d like to check out the Sky View observatory. And would save lots of $$. So fingers crossed it won’t be open! 🤣

If I can make a suggestion, I think earlier would be better. The Mariners have a 1:10pm game against the Boston Red Sox, and it’s Father’s Day, so I-5 may crowd up more than normal. I think you should still plan on leaving at 9, and stopping for breakfast north of the city if your tour is later. I would just try to get out of downtown Seattle earlier than later.

Yes I’m. gonna still leave at 9. Schedule tour for 11:30 and do the exhibits first if we are there earlier than start time. Thanks y’all!

Let me ask what the rest of your plans are for that day (or longer, if that's the case.) Are you renting a car just for that day? How long are you in town over all?

The reason for asking is that with the car you can go to some places or see some sights that would be very difficult or time consuming using public transportation. For example, you could include the Boeing factory tour with the "Whidbey loop," (map - https://goo.gl/maps/3TavvTZ4mbx ) in which you travel by ferry to/from Whidbey Island after/before your Boeing tour. On Whidbey you can visit the charming waterfront villages of Langley or Coupeville, see the lighthouse and cool coastal defense gun batteries at Fort Casey, visit amazing and beautiful Deception Pass, even have a piece of pie (OMG) at Whidbey Pies at the Greenbank Farm complex.

The ferry runs between Mukilteo (cute lighthouse, driftwood-covered beach, a few minutes' drive from the Boeing factory, and Clinton at the south end of Whidbey. The return drive is all on land - there's a bridge between Fidalgo Island (the one on the other side of Deception Pass) and the mainland near the (equally cute) town of La Conner.

This is one of the premier day trips in the Puget Sound region, and if you can manage your time (either do the loop after the factory, which would put you back at the airport around dinnertime or a bit later) or arrange the last tour of the Boeing plant of the day, giving you the morning and afternoon to do the loop counter-clockwise, it would make for a terrific outing.

Or - and this might be too big a change in plans for you to consider - what if you spent the previous night in Mukilteo instead of the airport? Pick up the rental car on arrival and drive up to Mukilteo, and stay at the Silver Cloud hotel that sits right on the water - https://www.silvercloud.com/mukilteo/ . If you're in time for dinner, Ivar's is next door - iconic local seafood change, or you can walk a block to the terrific Diamond Knot brewpub that sits across from the driftwood-covered beach in town. Maybe watch the sun set behind the Olympic mountains. That way you'd be able to get to the Boeing factory first thing, and still have a full day to do the Whidbey loop or any other sightseeing plans you might have. If you plan to return the car to the airport that night, it won't cost any more since you're paying the 24 hour rate regardless.

Just a thought, hope it's not too disruptive.

Mukilteo lighthouse and Whidbey ferry -

Deception Pass 1

Deception Pass 2

We do have the car for the day and I’d already thought about doing whidbey loop. We want to visit the Ballard locks and Kerry park as well if time allows. Love your plan for Whidbey. Thank you!

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